


Into The Sixth At Trebizon

by Jenn_Calaelen



Category: Trebizon Series - Anne Digby
Genre: Gen, Post canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-13
Updated: 2013-09-13
Packaged: 2017-12-26 11:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/965320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenn_Calaelen/pseuds/Jenn_Calaelen





	Into The Sixth At Trebizon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [brutti_ma_buoni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/brutti_ma_buoni/gifts).



Rebecca sat quietly in Robbie's car as he drove her and Tish back down to Trebizon for the start of their Lower Sixth year, or rather for the Trebizon Open tennis tournament the day before term began. It was arranged that Robbie would partner Rebecca and Tish had come along to cheer them on.  
As they would be the first back, they would be able to bags rooms for all their friends in Willoughby (the boarding house for the Lower Sixth). As they zoomed along, Rebecca reflected on how odd it would be to leave Court House behind, with everything that had happened to them there over the last three years. Willoughb would smaller and they would have more privacy and privileges.   
However, before she could settle in she would have to talk to Miss Welbeck. Rebecca knew she had been accepted into the 6th, but there had been a note that she would have to talk to Miss Welbeck about before the start of term, suggesting tea that afternoon, before the tennis tournament. Rebecca remember the last meeting about her tennis – just after the Bristol tournament when she had behaved so badly.  
They turned into the drive and cross the school grounds to Willoughby – set further back into the grounds, so that the 6th form girls would have some privacy and quiet for their studying. The house had three floors, each with a small common room on it. The ground floor had further study and relaxation space, and a large kitchen. Tish had asked around, and they had all discussed it over the phone – the rooms were mostly paired, with an outer and inner room. However, some of the attic ones were separate. There were expected to be around twenty five students in their year, and so there would be plenty of space. They had decided to try and grab the attic rooms – like in Count last year – they were the most private and had a fire escape that they could climb down to go out for jogs in the early morning. Rebecca and Mara were going to be sharing; as were Tish and Sue; and naturally Elf and Margot.   
As soon as the car stopped, Rebecca and Tish jumped out. The front door was unlocked, so they entered, but the house was empty and quiet. When they had been upstairs they should see if Mrs (name) was around. They ran up the stairs and looked around. The rooms they wanted were at the end, furthest from the staris, next to the common room that opened onto the fire escape and had wide windows towards the sea. Rebecca quickly looked around, but no one else had arrived.   
Tish started opening doors, and looking in.  
"Look at the views from here – over to the sea – how lovely."  
"And seeing the tennis courts. What are the views from the front?"  
"Towards the main school through the trees."  
The rooms were all set up the same with a bed, desks, chests of drawers, wardrobes and bookshelves. The views were the only real difference.   
"Which side do you think you want?" Tish asked.  
"Looking out towards the sea, I think." Rebecca replied.  
"Me too. If we grab the two pairs ar the end, and the one opposite for Elf and Margot."  
"Good plan. We should go down and get our stuff, before Robbie gets too fed up."  
They rushed aorund, bringing everything up and spreading it all out over the rooms they had claimed.   
Robbie stayed around while they unpacked, drinking coffee in their kitchen and watching the chaos. Then went over to Garth, as his old housemaster had offered him a bed for the night. Rebecca had finished unpacking, including her new books for her A-Levels. She had been trying to read the novels suggested in French for the summer, as well as writing to Emmanuelle to keep up her French – and to find out how things were going with her and Cliff, but she had not heard anything for a while – Emmanuelle was away on holiday on the Cote d'Azur, but had promised she would send a postcard. 

Too soon for her nerves it was time for Rebecca to go for tea with Miss Welbeck. Rebecca could vividly remember their last conversation about her future, and so was dreading this one, even though this time she had not done anything wrong (at least as far as she knew). She went over to Miss Welbeck's house and was shown into her drawing-room. Miss Welbeck poured her tea and offered her a biscuit while asking about her summer. Once she was comfortable and sipping her tea, Miss Welbeck said,  
"I am glad to see you back here this year, Rebecca."  
"Thank you," she replied shyly.  
"Have you considered what you are going to do about your tennis?"  
"I'm not sure. I've been playing over the summer, but only at the club and with friends – no tournaments."  
"If you are to do well at your A-levels, you will need to focus on your school work for the whole of the two years – you can't pull it together at the last minute."  
Rebecca nodded, she knew that already – she had had enough of a scare with her GCSEs.  
"However, there is your tennis to consider as well, and school responsibilities."  
Rebecca sipped her tea, waiting to hear if Miss Welbeck had more to say.  
"I have spoken with Mrs Ericson and she would welcome you back to the county couching and the Under 18 squad, or even the Senior squad, depending on your form. She understands that you are not going to be training all out and participating in tournaments. Is that what you want, Rebecca?"  
"I'm not sure. I'd like to be playing tennis again, but I did so much better at my school work when I wasn't. I want to do well at my A-Levels." She did not mention university, not wanting to know if that was still a possibility. She paused, unable to think of words for the next bit.  
"It is all about learning to balance your commitments and priorities."  
Rebecca flushed, thinking of her behaviour at Bristol.  
"I mean, I know I behaved badly, and I don't want to turn into that person again. I was too focused on winning at any cost."  
"That is something you will have to be careful of – but now you have been there, you know that it is not how you would like to behave and be seen." She paused, but Rebecca just looked down at her tea. "However, this is about whether you think you can play tennis for the county and balance that against your A-Level work."  
"I can try. I'd like to I think."  
"The other question is whether you would like to be a prefect."  
Rebecca blinked, she had not expected this.  
"I wouldn't have though I would be able to be with the tennis. I'll be too busy."  
"Very well," Miss Welbeck said with a smile. "One other thing for you to consider is whether you would like to be on the editorial committee for the Trebizon Journal next year."  
Rebecca smiled. "I would love to – although I don't know if I'd be chosen."  
"Well, it is up to your fellow students. We always leave those decisions in the hands of the students. Remember, Rebecca, that you have so many opportunities here, but you need to focus and make choices if you want to succeed."  
Rebecca nodded. "Thank you. I do want to do well at my A-Levels and play tennis. I will miss tournaments and playing every day, but I think it is the right thing to do. I'd miss school and everyone so much if I'd decided to leave."  
Miss Welbeck smiled at her. "Well done. Making choices is hard. There will be more of this over the next two years, but remember that we are all here to help you and give you advice."  
"Thank you." she said again.

Following the talk with Miss Welbeck, Rebecca wandered back over to Willoughby house, however, Tish was not there. Rebecca guessed that she had gone down to the beach – given the great summer weather – hot and sunny for once. She picked up one of her books from the reading lists she had been given for the summer. She had read most of the books – all of those for French and history, but still had one of the Latin books (an introduction to the End of the Republic and the rise of the Julio-Claudians) to finish reading before classes began.   
Rebecca ran down to the beach, enjoying the quiet. Tish was sitting to the rocks of Mulbery cove waiting of her, watching the sailing boats in the cove.   
"How was ypur talk?"  
"Good," Rebecca said, throwing herself to the ground. "She's talked to everyone and arranged that I can go back to the country couching, but with a warning that I need to focus on my work if I am to do well at A-Levels."  
Tish nodded. "I wonder what this year will hold."  
"We haven't had an uneventful year yet – we have the visit to Mullbery Island to look forward to."  
"Learning to drive – cooking for ourselves. University visits, Oxbridge exams – for me at least."  
"Tennis matches, your running and 1st Eleven hockey. I wonder if there will be any new mysteries."  
"I am sure there will be. I wonder if there will be any new girls – and what they will be like."

Playing in the tennis cup the next day was a joy – Robbie was a wonderful partner, and it seemed that her form had not suffered too much from the break. Rebecaa knew that that was not totally true – the tournament was not very competitive, but it was fun to win again – and to play against so many of the locals that she now knew.

That evening, Rebecca and Tish sat on the fire escape, looking out towards the sea, ready for new adventures and challenges.


End file.
